Cup violence to be stamped on

A new disciplinary system is to be enforced at the World Cup which will leave persistent offenders in danger of being banned from the final.

Anyone shown three yellow cards during the tournament will almost certainly be given a one-match suspension.

The punishment for players sent off will be a number of matches to be served, as opposed to weeks, which will mean expulsion from the tournament for more serious red card offences.

The measures have been introduced in a bid to ensure that gratuitous violence does not prevent the sport from winning millions of new fans during the seven-week competition. 'We want the World Cup to be hard but fair from start to finish,' said tournament director Fraser Neal. 'We don't want any parents thinking that it's not a game for their Johnny to play.' A 16-strong team of judicial officers and citing commissioners will be on duty throughout the event. Those charged with clamping down on foul play will not be watching matches in the stadiums, but will view them from TV studios, surrounded by a battery of slow-motion monitors.

Australia wing Lote Tuqiri was shown three yellow cards during the Tri-Nations but escaped suspension because the cards had no cumulative effect.

Neal warns that such persistent offenders cannot expect any sympathy now, even if it means missing the final.

Craig Quinnell, Cardiff's former Wales lock, was given a six-match ban yesterday following his dismissal in last week's Celtic League match against Glasgow for stamping. It puts him out until October 26.

The International Board introduced their own official world rankings yesterday, putting England on top ahead of New Zealand, with Ireland in third place above Australia, France, South Africa, Argentina, Samoa, Scotland and Wales.